Information on whether leaders of the Kaduna State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) were arrested by the government in connection with November 2002 riots in Kaduna, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, referring to November 2002 riots in Kaduna State of Nigeria, a 26 November 2002 IRIN report stated that "people arrested in predominantly Muslim areas of the city were taken to Sharia courts, while those picked up in the mainly Christian areas were given a choice between customary and magistrate courts (IRIN 26 Nov. 2002). The report did not indicate whether leaders of the Kaduna Chapter of the Christian Association were among those who were arrested (ibid.)

In its July 2003 report entitled The "Miss World Riots": Continued Impunity for Killings in Kaduna, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that most of 350 persons who were arrested in connection with the riots were boys and young men accused of looting or rioting. The report added that "there were a few arrests of more prominent community or religious leaders, most of whom were released with a short time" (HRW July 2003). With the exception of the name of the Secretary General of the supreme Council for Sharia, the report did not provide names of those who were arrested, nor did it indicate whether Christian leaders were among those who were arrested (ibid.).

For information on November 2002 Kaduna riots, please see NGA41729.E of 7 July 2003.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Human Rights Watch (HRW). July 2003. The ''Miss World Riots' Continued Impunity for Killing in Kaduna. http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/nigeria0703/index.htm [Accessed 19 Feb. 2004]

Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN). 26 November 2002. "Nigeria: 350 charged in connection with Kaduna riots." http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/0/bb5862bcb9dc26da85256c7d0074390e?OpenDocument [Accessed 19 Feb. 2004]

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin

Dialog

IRB Databases

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent

Keesing's Records of the World

Resource Centre country file. Nigeria

West Africa

Internet Websites, including:

Africa Time

AllAfrica

Amnesty International (AI)

Barnabas Fund

BBC Africa

Christianity Today.com

Church Net UK

Churches Network

The Domini Project

European Country of Origin Information Network (Ecoi.net)

Minorities at Risk Project

MISNA

ReliefWeb

U S. Department of State. International Religious Freedom Report for 2003